Saturday January 17, 2009 cont.A short distance south of Lima, in the small town of Wapakoneta, is the Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum.Neil Armstrong was born and raised nearby. Really nice museum, that includes a high quality movie and a moon rock. They also surprised me by having lots of info on the Russian space program, too. This place is worth a couple of hour visit. I also paused to watch all the kids sledriding on the hills right outside the building. Man, that looked like fun!After driving through lots more farmland and small towns, I arrived at my dinner destination, Balyeat's Coffee Shopin Van Wert, Ohio. This place is not reviewed on the Roadfood website, but has appeared in some of the JMS books. It has been about four years since I was here last. Balyeat's is very easy to find, since it is located next door to one seriously big county courthouse.One of the true highlights of this place is the great sign hanging outside.I had hoped to plan my visit here so that I could take a photo of the sign during the light when I arrived and then after dark and all lit up, when I was leaving.The interior is long and somewhat narrow, with a long line of counter seats. Spotting a open table in the corner, next to a heater, I sat there. More times than not, I would have sat at the counter, but warming up was the priority here. The clientele is older, which is no surprise, since Balyeat's offers what can usually be described as comfort food. Veal loaf sandwich?My waitress was a little white haired woman, probably in her late 60s. She had lots of personality and opinions, which I enjoyed. The first thing I asked her was how are we doing on the pies. She scurried away and came back with terrible news. All they had left was one piece of the sugar free raspberry and several slices of the raisin. I had her bring me back the raisin. This was very disappointing, since I passed on pies at earlier stops, to save room for here. At least the raisin pie looked good.I didn't try much of the bread, but the biscuit on top was soft and warm and tasted better than it looked with some grape jelly on it.Lots of interesting things on the menu worth trying, but how could I pass up the chicken, considering the sign outside. I was asked if I wanted white or dark meat and I asked for a combination of both. She apologized, but said it was either or. I chose the dark.The chicken is fried and then baked, which is unusual. It was very moist and flavorful and I easily ate the whole thing. The dressing here was much better than what I had the night before, but the mashed potatoes did not taste from scratch to me. I think they were from a box.

As for the pie, outstanding! Perfect, unmistakably homemade pie. All it did though, was make me regret not being able to sample more of their pies. I will be back.Unfortunately, my food came out so quickly, it was still light out when I left, so I didn't get a night photo of the sign.

The plan was to hit one more place on the way to my hotel near Toledo, but I was tired and full by now. On the way, the snow had picked up and I saw several accidents. It was a bad night for driving.

After relaxing in my hotel in Perrysburg for a while, I looked outside, since I was considering a visit to Schmucker's in Toledo, for some of their excellent pie. But, looking out the window at all the snow coming down, I decided to just stay in. After all, I was having breakfast there the next morning.More to come.....

Note to Davydd: I asked the waitress about the BPT and the way she described it and its preparation sounded right. She said it was one of the more popular items on the menu. It may be worth you stopping in here and trying it. If nothing else, I can promise good pie!

Michael Hoffman, I saw on another thread that you used to be a sportscaster on WSAZ-TV in Huntington WV. Every time I spend the night in Huntington ( at least once a year ), I keep my TV on WSAZ as NBC is my favorite network. It's possible that I've seen you on the air at some point; can you tell me what years and days of the week you were on?

That was many, many years ago -- 1965 and 1966. I did occasional sports segments from the Charleston area during the week (I was the news director at WKAZ, a Charleston radio station at the time, and we shared space with WSAZ-TVs Charleston bureau), and drove to Huntington on weekends to anchor the sports during the 11 o'clock newscasts.

BB I grew up on great German Potato Salad but since I left Yonkers I have not been able to find it anywhere like what I was used to - which is just as you describe it - have you ever made it like you like it and it came out great and could you share a recipe for it if so?

My wife is 100% German. Try this one, It's very basic since it came from a simpler time.

Buffetbuster, you're right... I goofed. I did mean Nick's Kitchen. Don't know how it came out "Grill"; guess the ol' brain's on it's way out ( wait 'til you reach my age - you'll understand. ) I really enjoyed my BPT, and I did get to meet the owner. We had a nice chat; she even gave me a Nick's coffee mug. Today I had lunch at the Maid-Rite in Sycamore IL ( not too far from Rockford. ) I waited for you, but you let me down - you never showed up! lol

Note to Davydd: I asked the waitress about the BPT and the way she described it and its preparation sounded right. She said it was one of the more popular items on the menu. It may be worth you stopping in here and trying it. If nothing else, I can promise good pie!

BB,

US 30 there is a hot bed area for tenderloins from Huntington, of course, to Decatur, IN to Van Wert. I should be traveling through that area in May. The area was heavily populated by old German Pennsylvania Dutch stock in the mid 1800s. I trace a lot of ancestry back through there. So I would not question what the waitress said. Looks like my kind of place. Thanks so much for the report.

That was many, many years ago -- 1965 and 1966. I did occasional sports segments from the Charleston area during the week (I was the news director at WKAZ, a Charleston radio station at the time, and we shared space with WSAZ-TVs Charleston bureau), and drove to Huntington on weekends to anchor the sports during the 11 o'clock newscasts.

Michael Hoffman- There is a good chance I did see you on WSAZ, although I can't say that I remember it - I lived north of Portsmouth, Ohio until late 1965, when I moved to Michigan. In that area of Ohio, the TV station with the strongest signal was channel 3, so that is what we usually watched. I still have a lot of family in that area.

buffetbuster-While I have eaten at Balyeat's in Van Wert and at a Kewpee's in Lima (the one on Bellefountaine Ave just off I-75), you have just provided excellent reports on two others that I have been driving past without stopping for over 40 years now. Wilson's in Findlay and G & R in Waldo are both places that I need to try.

I have been aware of G & R, which has been highly recommended to me by my brother for several years now. I was not aware of Wilson's, although for these many years I have usually stopped to eat in either Findlay or Bowling Green when traveling between Michigan and southern Ohio.

Michael Hoffman, I saw on another thread that you used to be a sportscaster on WSAZ-TV in Huntington WV. Every time I spend the night in Huntington ( at least once a year ), I keep my TV on WSAZ as NBC is my favorite network. It's possible that I've seen you on the air at some point; can you tell me what years and days of the week you were on?

That was many, many years ago -- 1965 and 1966. I did occasional sports segments from the Charleston area during the week (I was the news director at WKAZ, a Charleston radio station at the time, and we shared space with WSAZ-TVs Charleston bureau), and drove to Huntington on weekends to anchor the sports during the 11 o'clock newscasts.

Did you ever work for WKRP in Cincinnati???????????????? ( A great Show by the way!)

Buffetbuster, Another outstanding trip report! I look forward to these whenever I have time to drop by this website, which is getting to be less often these days due to research and writing. Unhungrily, Ort. in 30601-Land.

Dearfolk, No, but I once worked for WDOL (AM & FM) in Athens, Georgia! Airlessly, Ort. Carlton in Amazing 30601-Central. P. S. For a brief time, there WAS a WKRP in Dallas, Georgia! -- The closest anything in Cincinnati ever came to WKRP was WKRC, which was 550 AM there for many years, in addition to probably FM and TV, which I don't remember.

Sorry this is taking so long to finish. I got distracted by Las Vegas, which is most likely easy to understand!Sunday January 18, 2009Lots of new snow on my car in the morning and the roads were a bit messy. I drove over to Schmucker's for my breakfast (actually breakfast was an afterthought, I wanted pie!), but they were closed. I could have sworn they were open on Sundays, but obviously, I was wrong.After getting a bad report of more snow coming, I decided to just head home and hope that I will see an open place for breakfast between here and the Ohio turnpike. Just a few miles down the road, I found Dudley's Diner.The place was very quiet inside, but that could have been due to the weather. The cook sat at a nearby table, doing crossword puzzles, since he had nothing else to do. I settled on a Philly cheese omelet and cook went back to make it.They used good quality beef and were very generous with the cheese and onions. A fine omelet. While I was sitting there eating, I noticed an unusual mural on the wall.I asked the elderly woman who was waiting on me if this place started off selling hot dogs out of a bus and she confirmed that it was true. Apparently, they were a fixture at all the locals fairs and parks, until they built this diner. Now, I have to try a chili dog!This was a very strong flavored, wet chili sauce. You know how there is a greasy in a good way and a greasy in a bad way? This was greasy in a good way. The bun was nice and soft. I wish I had room to eat a couple more. They also offer about a half dozen other types of hot dogs, too.Dudley's Diner415 S. Reynolds StreetToledo, OH419-536-2726Just a very short distance further down the road, there was another breakfast place open and packed. I believe it was called Reynold's GardenCafe. By the amount of cars there, it must be pretty good. Anyone ever eaten there?My original plan was going to have me stop in Cleveland and have lunch at Balaton. But with bad weather coming, I decided it would be better to just head home.

Dearfolk, No, but I once worked for WDOL (AM & FM) in Athens, Georgia! Airlessly, Ort. Carlton in Amazing 30601-Central. P. S. For a brief time, there WAS a WKRP in Dallas, Georgia! -- The closest anything in Cincinnati ever came to WKRP was WKRC, which was 550 AM there for many years, in addition to probably FM and TV, which I don't remember.

CINCINNATI — WKRP is back on the air in Cincinnati _ but this time it's for real. A low-power TV station has changed its call letters to WKRP, the same as the fictional radio station in the 1970s hit series "WKRP in Cincinnati." The station changed its call letters to promote its new digital TV signal. It formerly went by WBQC-TV. General Manager Elliott Block says the new call letters give the station recognition because so many people remember the television sit-com. ___ On the Net:http://www.wkrp.tv/ ___

BB I grew up on great German Potato Salad but since I left Yonkers I have not been able to find it anywhere like what I was used to - which is just as you describe it - have you ever made it like you like it and it came out great and could you share a recipe for it if so?

My wife is 100% German. Try this one, It's very basic since it came from a simpler time.

nocarolina- That is terrific that you got to stop in at Nick's Kitchen, meet Jean Anne and have that wonderful BPT. Did you have any pie while you were there? Did you identify yourself as a Roadfooder? That sure was nice of her to give you a coffee mug.

Davydd-If you do go to Balyeat's for their BPT, make sure you go early enough to have a better pie selection. Or better yet, let me know when you are going to be there and I will meet you!

ardee- Thanks so much for what you said. That makes really makes me feel good. If you do make it to Wilson's or G & R, please report back and let us know what you think!

Buffetbuster, I didn't get to have any pie at Nick's Kitchen as I got there just ten minutes before closing; I got "slighty" lost trying to find Huntington, so I just barely made it in time. I did tell Jean Anne that I was a Roadfooder and that I had read her posts, and we had a very nice chat. The mug that she very thoughtfully gave me is really cool; it has the big neon "Nick's Kitchen" sign on it. Maybe I should start actively collecting roadfood-related artifacts. I have magnets from Moody's Diner and the Loveless Cafe on my fridge door, so that's a start.

BB, it turns out that I'm even further along with my Roadfood collection than I thought. I completely forgot about the Snappy Lunch mug that one of the employees gave me several years ago. I wonder what these mugs would bring on eBay? lol By the way, in case no one's heard, Charles Dowell had to retire from Snappy Lunch recently due to declining health; I understand that he's not doing well at all. He wasn't at SL when I was there in Sept., and it just wasn't the same without him.

Looking for something to do this weekend, me, my girlfriend and her daughter decided to take an overnight trip to Dayton, which is only about four hours away. Since there isn't enough here to have its own trip report, I will just slap it onto the end of this one.The first planned stop was at Henry's, just west of Columbus. It was getting to be close to lunch time, but I explained to the ladies that Henry's is best known for their pies. So we decided to have pie only here and then eat lunch at our next stop. God bless these women for putting up with me!

I've written about Henry's in several other trip reports, so I won't go into too much detail. But it is a small yellow building in what used to be a gas station and is the classic Roadfood small town cafe. The inside looks like something out of the 50s with the wood paneling and they make blue ribbon pies here. The day's list:I have eaten pie here at least a half dozen times and there were some on this list that were new to me. While I was deciding, the ladies thought splitting one piece of blackberry, with a scoop of ice cream would be the way to go. The people here are so nice, they cut the slice in half and gave each one their own scoop of ice cream at no extra charge. They swooned over the rugged crust and the sweetness of the berries. I grabbed one bite and it was quite good.I started with the banana cream, which is my personal favorite pie. And Henry's didn't let me down, because this pie was a classic. Tall, airy meringue worked so well with the dense, fresh banana filling. This pie tasted like it had just come out of the oven. This is one of the best banana creams I have ever had. Don't I look like a happy boy?Unfortunately, the peanut butter cream was not as good. It was too rich and sweet for my taste and I tired of it quickly.Henry's6275 Route 40West Jefferson, OH614-879-9321http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Review/544-544/henrysWe got back in the car and headed for a more traditional lunch.

About 45 minutes later, we pulled up at Mel-O-Dee Restaurant, located in New Carlisle. It is only a few minutes off of I-70. They have a great looking old sign in the very busy parking lot. The inside has a typically family restaurant atmosphere.

They sat us in a booth in the back, right next to two very loud couples. When the waitress came over to greet us, it took three attempts for me to hear her ask what I wanted to drink. This made me request a move to a more quiet area of the restaurant. But don't take that as a shot at this place, because most of the restaurant was quiet. It was just those people. And it is hard for me to get too upset about that, since Mariton and I are both notoriously loud talkers ourselves.

The regular menu here is huge. They offer just about any type of comfort food imaginable. And then they have quite a few specials, too.Broaster Walleye? How interesting does that sound? New England Boiled Dinner in Ohio? This is a menu that begs for much more investigating!Walking to our table, we noticed that just about everybody was eating the broasted chicken. So Emilou went with the four piece meal.An extremely crispy skin, along with juicy inside meat, it is easy to see why this is so popular. Mariton loves stuffed cabbage, so that was her choice. As big as this was, it is hard to believe this is only one stuffed cabbage. She loved the stuffed cabbage itself, but thought the accompanying sauerkraut was too salty. So, I ate it. Her sides of green beans and steamed cabbage (more cabbage!) both met with her approval. Despite the warning by Bruce and Sue in the review, I went with the beef hot-shot. Only here, it was a Swiss steak, inside white bread, covered in a thick brown gravy, along with mashed potatoes. And like the review said, the steak and the mashed potatoes definitely seemed more prefabricated than homey. Luckily, just about anything is edible when covered with a good brown gravy and I still easily managed to finish my plate. For a side, I went with the cole slaw, which the menu brags up. This was crisp, creamy and sweet and was very enjoyable.Although the pie case here was very tempting, I wanted to save room for future meals and passed. We didn't love everything about Mel-O-Dee Restaurant, but it still gets better than a passing grade. I will be back.Mel-O-Dee Restaurant2350 South Dayton Lakeview RoadNew Carlisle, OH937-849-1378http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Review/2255-2549/melodee-restaurant